Safety latch for doors



o. E IMAGNUSON 1,754,958 SAFETY LATGH FOR DOORS April 15, 1930 Filed Sept. 19, 1927' ATT'OPNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES OSCAR n. MAGNUSON, or DAVENPORT, Iowa SAFETY. LATCH FOR DOORS Application filedSeptember 19,. 1927. Serial No. 220,293.

My invention pertains to that type of devices which are used more particularly in connection with house doors to permit same to be opened a short distance and which can be.

adjusted to permit the door tolopen fully. and

without obstruction.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide an improved means of the character stated; to provide a device of the character indicated which will be economical to manufacture and efficient in service; to provide a device of the class described having means for preventing persons outside the door from actuating the device so as to. permit the door to be opened; to provide a device of the character indicated, such that the same may be used to latch the door in closed position; and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed. My. invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing and,

while I have shown therein what is now considered the preferred embodiment of my device, together with some modifications thereof, I desire this disclosure to beiunderstood as illustrative only and not to beconstrued in a limiting sense. I

In the drawing annexed hereto and forming apart hereof Fig. 1 is across s'ctional view of a doorand casing showing in plan one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the construction shown in Fig. 1 looking from the left of that figure, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form ofthis device; Fig. 4: is a similar view of a further modified form; Fig. 5 is an elevation of a portion of a device similar to that shown in Fig. 1 but with a modified safety device; Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 5, looking from the right in that figure.

Referring more in detail to the annexed drawing, letter C denotes a door casing and D a door to close the opening in the casing. Mounted upon the door is a wear plate or catch plate 1 and upon the casing is secured.

a base plate 2provided with spaced lugs or ears 3 between. which is mounted a hook shaped latching element or dog 4, securedinl pivotal relation by a suitable pivot 5. The

base plate 2 is provided with an opening 6 through whichprojects a stopping member 7 which cooperates with the handle 8 of. the

latching element 4: to prevent the same from being turned: upon itspivot so that. the hook 9will be out of the path of the edge of plate 1. Such a position is shown in dotted lines indicated by the reference letter E in Fig. 1.

If desired, the dog 4 may be turned into the position shown in Fig. l by dotted lines and indicated by the letter F. The plate 1 may be provided with a head or ridge as indicated at 10in Fig. 1 or, if desired, this may be entirely omitted. When the dog 45 is turnedinto the position F, it will serve as a latch to prevent the door from being opened.

As shown at 11 in Fig; 2 a projection is formed upon one side of member 7 in order to prevent the same from dropping down out of its position as indicatedin Figs. 1 and 2. A pivot 12 in a depression 13 inrthe-back of plate 2 makes it possible to turn the stopping member 7 upwardly out of the stopping position shownin Figs. 1 and 2. When this memher 7 is pushed up from below it is taken out of the path of the handle 8, permitting the same to swing back against. the plate 2, thus releasing thedoor so that it can swing open.

In view of the possibility that a person outside of'the door might reach inthrough the crack between the door and easing when the same is partly opened and lift the" stopping member 7 out of stopping position, by means of a wire or the like, it is consideredadvisable to provide means to prevent such fromhap pening, in event a purchaser desires same. Therefore, I have provided various means for accomplishing this result, some of thembeing shown in Figs. 3, 4. and 5. In Fig. 3, for example, wings 14; above and below the stopping member 7 will prevent access Jto this member by a person outside of the door. These wings 14: may be cast integral with theplate 2 or they may be detachable therefrom andcapable of being secured thereto in any desirable way. It is considered preferable that these wings be made integral with the plate 2. However, they must be spaced sufficiently far apartlin the vicinity of the stopping member 7 so that one can readily insert a finger below this member and raise the same sufficiently to take it out of the path of the handle 8 of dog 4. If constructed this way it is considered preferable to form the lugs or ears 3 integral with the wings 14 and connect them by a cross tie member 15 to prevent a wire or the like from being inserted to lift the stop 7. This cross tie member 15 may be provided or not, as desired, but it is preferable to construct the device with this connection for the ears 3, as shown in Fig. 6. If the wings 14 are used, it will be necessary to provide means such as lugs 16 to receive the screws for attaching the device to the door casing. In this construction, it is considered advisable to somewhat hollow out the inner sides of the wings to make additional space for operating the stop 7.

Another means of preventing persons outside the door from operating the stop memher 7 to release the dog 4 from latching position is shown in Fig. 4 in which the space between the lugs 3 is larger than that shown in the other Figs. and an additional member 17 is pivoted upon the pivot member 5, said additional member having a hook 18 for holding the door more nearly closed than the dog 4 will. This device is also provided with a handle 19 for actuation thereof. Also, if desired, the hook 18 may be omitted as this is not considered a necessary part of this construction. This device has a plate 20 integral therewith, said plate being preferably beveled upon opposite sides as shown at 21. With this construction in place, the door must be substantially closed, when the safety device 17 is turned sufficiently upon its pivot to get the plate 20 out of line of the stop member 7. In other words, when the door is opened sufliciently to reach in with any implement to raise the stop member 7 the book 18 will have been pushed by the door sufficiently to bring the plate 20 above the end of stop 7 so that it can not be operated. In order to open the door, the latter must be closed sufficiently to permit- 17 to be turned upon its pivot until 7 can be lifted above the plane of the plate 20. When this is done, this safety device can be turned back upon its pivot beneath the stop 7, the hook 18 being then'out of the path of the swinging door, and, since stop 7 is out of the path of handle 8 the do 4 may also swing upon its pivot to permit the door to open freely.

A still further modification of the safety device is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 in which the plate 2, ears 3 and stop 7 are the same as in Figs. 1 and 2. However, a plate 23 provided with an irregular notch 24 is slidably mounted upon the base plate 2. This plate 23 has a slot 25 therein through which extends a screw 26 which is screw-threaded into the base plate 2 and serves as means for guiding plate 23 in its reciprocation on the plate 2. At one end, this plate 23 is severed longitudinally and has one portion 28 bent in one direction and a portion 29 bent in the opposite direction, as shown in Fig. 6. This plate has a tongue 30 extending longitudinally A through an opening 31 which serves to guide the plate in its reciprocation. The phte has a shoulder 32 which overlies the stop 7. when the plate is shoved backwardly into latching position, thus preventing the stop 7 from being lifted out of the path of the dog 4. A plate 34 having its edges bent up and around as indicated at 35 may be provided with any of these forms to prevent the stop 7 from dropping out of the opening 6 in the base plate 2. This may be constructed to fit any one of the several forms, Figs. 1 and 2 showing it slideable lengthwise of the base plate so that it is detachable simply by moving it endwise thereon until the stop 7 is uncovered. When this happens the stop may be removed from the opening 6 in the plate 2 and turned the opposite side up. WVhen this has been done, the device a whole may be turned over so as to be used upon a door opening in the opposite direction from that shown in Fig. 1. Various other ways of attaching this plate 3 1 to the plate 2 may be resorted to without invention. Furthermore, if desired, this device may be entirely omitted, either in the device as sold or as installed. If suitably modified, this device may be used with the construction shown in Fig. 3. It is not thought that such modification would require any invention and disclosure thereof is therefore not made.

It is of course understood that the structure disclosed herein may be departed from without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention,

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a base plate for attachment to a door casing, said base plate being provided with means whereby a stop may be mounted thereon, spaced lugs projecting from the face of the base plate, and a hook shaped latching member having a projection from one edge thereof, said projection fitting between said lugs and being pivotally secured therein, a stop on the base plate for limiting the rotation of the latching member in a direction to re lease the door and means for preventing actuation of the stop by a person outside the door.

2. In a device of the character described, a base plate for attachment to a door casing, said base plate being provided with means whereby a stop may be mounted thereon, spaced lugs projecting from the face of the base plate, and a hook shaped latching member having a projection from one edge thereof, said projection fitting between said lugs and being pivotally secured therein, a

stop on the base plate for limiting the rotation of the latching member in a direction such that the door would be released and means for holding the stop member in stopping position.

3. In a device of the character described, a base plate for attachment to a door casing, said base plate being provided with means whereby a stop may be mounted thereon, spaced lugs projecting from the face of the base plate, and a hook shaped latching member having a projection from one edge thereof, said projection fitting between said lugs and being pivotally secured therein, a stop on the base plate for limiting the rotation of the latching member in one direction and slidable means for holding the stop member in stopping position.

4. In a structure of the character described, a wear plate for attaching to a door adjacent the edge thereof, and a latching member to cooperate therewith, said latching member comprising a base plate, a latching hook pivoted thereon to cooperate with the wear plate, and means pivoted on the base plate to prevent the latching hook from turning out of position wherein it may cooperate with said wear plate.

5. In a structure of the character described, a wear plate for attachment to a door adjacent the edge thereof, and a latching member to cooperate therewith, said latching member comprising a base plate, a latching hook pivoted thereon to cooperate with the wear plate, and means reversible in the base plate, said means serving to prevent the latching hook from turning out of position wherein it may cooperate with said wear plate, said reversible means when turned over in the base plate permitting the device to be used the other side up.

6. In a structure of the character described, a wear plate for attachment to a door adjacent the edge thereof, and a latching member to cooperate therewith, said latching member comprising a base plate, a latching hook pivoted thereon to cooperate with the wear plate, reversible means to prevent the latching hook from turning out of position wherein it may cooperate with said wear plate, said reversible means when turned over in the base plate permitting the device to be used the other side up, and movable means for preventing the reversible means from base plate.

7. In a device of the character described, a base plate for attachment to a door casing, spaced lugs projecting from the face of the base plate, a hook shaped latching member having a projection from one edge thereof, said projection fitting between said lugs and being pivotally secured therein, and a stop on the base plate for limiting the rotation i of the latching member in a direction to release the door from swinging motion but capable of being moved out of limiting position, and means for preventing a person outside the door from actuating the stop into a position such that the door can be opened.

8. In a device of the character described having a base plate for securernent to a door casing, lugs projecting from the base plate and spaced apart at their outer extremities for the reception of a latching element, a latching element pivoted between said lugs and having at one end thereof a hook for engagement with a door and at the opposite end a handle to cooperate with a movable abutment of the device, said base plate being provided at a point more remote from the door than is the pivot of the latching element with means for the pivotal attachment of an abutment, and a pivoted abutment attached thereto and cooperating with said handle in one position to serve as a stop to prevent the latching element from being moved out of latching position but adapted to be moved out of such position so that pivotal movement of the latching element will be permitted.

9. In a device of the character described, a base plate for attachment to a door casing, said base plate being provided with means whereby a stop may be mounted thereon, spaced lugs projecting from the face of the base plate, and a hook shaped latching member having a projection from one edge thereof, said projection fitting between said lugs and being pivotally secured therein, and a stop on the base plate at a point more remote from the door than are the lugs, said stop limiting the rotation of the latching member in a direction to release the door for swinging motion.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

OSCAR E. MAGNUSON,

: becoming accidentally detached from the 7 

